Remembering Gloria Steinem's Jewish identity, experiences
Gloria Steinem, a mother of Second Wave feminism and a shaper of American culture, died Wednesday in her home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. She was 92 years old.The longtime political agitator, activist and founder was known for her forceful activism and speeches on behalf of women’s equality.She was a co-founder of Ms. magazine and author of essay collections, including “Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions” (1983) and a book about Marilyn Monroe in 1997. She also penned “My Life on the Road,” a memoir, in 2015.Steinem co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and, through Ms. magazine and her other writings, brought then-taboo subjects and women’s experiences, including abortion and rape, into American mainstream conversation.She was famous, and instantly recognizable, for her streaked, straight hair and aviator glasses.Less well-known was her Jewish heritage and connection to it. Her father, Leo Steinem, was Jewish, but the future feminist lived with her mother,…
Gloria Steinem, a pivotal figure in Second Wave feminism and co-founder of Ms. magazine, died at 92. While widely recognized for her activism and writings, her Jewish heritage was less known. Her father, Leo Steinem, was Jewish, and she later connected with her Jewish identity through relationships with Ms. magazine co-founders and participation in feminist Seders. Steinem famously stated, "Never in my life have I identified myself as a Christian, but whenever there is antisemitism, I identify as a Jew." She also discovered her paternal grandmother, Pauline Steinem, was a notable suffragist who rescued family members from the Nazis, a revelation that deeply connected her to her Jewishness. Steinem participated in feminist Passover Seders for over two decades, which focused on elevating biblical women and applying lessons to contemporary women's struggles. She expressed being "socially drawn to Jewish warmth, sensuality, expressiveness."
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